Recycled Truth is a functional software application that behaves just like a regular trashbin, although it additionally automatically leaks the files dragged on it to WikiLeaks (and if time allows, other publishers too) before deleting them. Recycled Truth wants to be a reflection on the multiple facets of leaking. In modern journalism, whistleblowing is represented as an act of exceptionalism and heroism. It’s a radical action taken by the bravest for the purpose of uncovering malfeasance, corruption and keeping power in check. It’s a drastic decision, that often has drastic consequences. Recycled Truth reverts that, and turns the act of whistleblowing into a trivial action that anyone can perform. It simplifies the process of leaking to the point of decomposing it to a basic gesture that everybody is familiar with, as simple as dragging some unwanted files into the trash. Secondly, it calls into question the concept of secrecy and exposes the asymmetric value of information. Documents in our possession can have different meaning and importance to others. Would we realize whether had they any public relevance before we deleted them for good? If a computer’s trashbin was to behave like Recycled Truth, which files would we trash and which files wouldn’t we? Knowing that our garbage would become the subject of a digital equivalent of dumpster diving, the good old hacker tradition of scavenging worthy information out of corporation’s trashcans.
